The Mistake
by chescaannie
Summary: The church bells, the white dress. All situated around a wedding I wanted, but didn't get. My red heart, turned black. Because of my stupidity. Because I was wrong. But I am America, and I am strong. (thanks xXNewZealandDancerXx) AU where the rebel attack didn't happen and Maxon is now marrying Kriss, leaving America heartbroken. (rated t just in case :))
1. Chapter 1

The invitation was heavy, just like the application form had been all those months ago. There was one difference, however – and it wasn't the amount of dread in the pit of my stomach which had been the same both times – but my mother attempting to hide the letter in one of the cupboards in the kitchen. This time, she had decided that it was not something that should be presented proudly at the dinner table but I don't know what she had been expecting, I was going to find out sooner or later.

"Mom," I'd asked her. "What's this?" She'd turned around and her face dropped as she saw the envelope I was holding with my name on in a delicate cursive script. I ripped into it before she could protest and found myself holding back the tears as I read the card inside.

 _Prince Maxon Calix Schreave would like to invite you to his wedding to Lady Kriss Ambers on the twentieth of February. We politely ask for your reply by no later than the twelfth of February and hope to see you there._

 _The Palace of Illèa, Angeles_

I flipped the card over, my hands shaking, and found three boxes, requesting one should be ticked and the card should be sent back. They read: _'I will be attending alone', 'I will be attending and bringing a guest',_ and _'I will not be attending'_. I set it down on the counter-top and turned to my mother who had her arms open for me to fall into, which I did.

"It's going to be ok, Darling." She promised, stroking my hair soothingly.

"He's marrying her, Mom. He's marrying her and I still love him." I wept.

A few days before I needed to RSVP, I took out the card from the cupboard once more. I was prepared this time for what was to come when I read the card through again to make sure it truly was Kriss' name there, where mine should be, and flipped it over, studying the responses.

I had to go, didn't I? The press would have a field day if the runner-up of _The Selection_ refused to turn up to the Wedding. And, I wanted to see Maxon again, even if it was to marry someone else. At the end of the day, I wanted him to be happy and as long as she would do that for him, then I would be ok. The only question was whether to go alone or take someone. By someone, I obviously meant May. I would offer it to my mother but she would realistically have to look after Gerard and the invitation clearly stated I could only bring one guest.

Taking May would make it more fun, I supposed. At least she would make me laugh and be someone to talk to so that the king couldn't corner me again. Plus, she would kill me if she knew that I could have taken her to the palace and didn't. So I ticked the box and put it in an envelope to address it before I could change my mind.

"So, you're going then?" My mother said, it wasn't really a question as she had seen the box I had ticked.

"Well, I have to, don't I? If I don't go then I'll get hounded by the press; everyone expects me to go so I might as well."

"No one in this house will think less of you for not going, you know. We all understand." I laughed at that.

"You understand because you care about me. They don't. It'll be easier for everyone if I go." I sighed. The king loved to make me squirm and would probably force me to go anyway. "I'm taking May, if you can spare her."

"Of course! She'll love to see the palace again. And I don't think she'd be very happy if she found out that I'd stopped her from returning." She laughed, "She's out in the workshop if you want to check she's ok with it."

I smiled, I was pretty sure I knew what her answer would be but it's polite to ask so I walked down the stairs to the basement workshop where she kept all of her art things. There was still one corner, however that had been left untouched. In fact, there was a sheet covering my father's easel – still with his final piece resting upon it unfinished.

"Hey, May." I called as I walked down the wooden stairs. "Do you fancy a trip to the palace in two weeks?"

"Are you serious?" She shouted excitedly. "I'd love to come! Does Mom say it's ok?"

"Yeah. She says it's fine, as long as you want to." She practically jumped on me with the hug she gave me, almost pushing me over in fact.

"So, you're going to the Wedding then? I don't think I would if I was you…"

"I kind of have to, May. So one of your jobs is to make sure I survive the few days we're there, ok?"

" _One_ of my jobs?" She scoffed, "I thought this was a vacation!" I laughed and she smiled back at me.

"It might well be one of the hardest times of your life." I said sadly. May gave me a small smile and pulled me into another, softer, embrace.

"You'll be fine, Ames. We'll get through it together. And, by the way, my offer of killing him is still available!" She pulled away and moved to go back to her work. It was an offer she had first given during my first week back at home, a week that I had mainly spent in my bedroom with tear-stained pillows. May had cuddled me and told me it would all be alright, that he didn't deserve me, that all I had to do was give my consent and she would make sure he felt the same pain I did. She made me smile for the first time when she said this to me. And since, we'd become even closer than we had been before.

"Hmm, we'll see. Although I'm pretty sure that even saying that is treason." I laughed.

"Nah, just being a good sister! If he has _any_ decency, he would understand." She shrugged.

I left her to her work and picked up the envelope off the dining room table. I looked at it once again, reading the address of the palace that I had scrawled on the front. He told me I would be on the other side of this invitation, where Kriss was. I know I made a mistake, but it was a mistake that was old by the time he found out. I saw his point, it was a mistake no matter when I had done it, but now every time I saw him on the _Report,_ I remembered his face and the anger in his voice when he said that he thought I'd lied about loving him. It had been no lie, and if I repeated it to him today, it still wouldn't be.

I walked down the street towards the post box, people had long since stopped staring and I was no longer hounded by the press, it was as if everything had gone back to the way it was before I was ever picked for The Selection. Well, for everyone else it was. I would never be the same again. Since I had applied for it, I had lost the only three men I have ever loved – would ever love, and I would never _ever_ be able to forget everything that had happened since.

 **Ok, so this is just a story I've got going round in my head and I needed to get out there! Hope you enjoyed it, please leave a review either way and I will hopefully be back soon. Lots of love – chescaannie xx**


	2. Chapter 2

The night before we left, I couldn't sleep. I was a little excited to be going back to the palace – I think it had rubbed off on me from May – but I was also incredibly nervous to be seeing Maxon again because I knew that one of two things would happen. Either I would see that he didn't love me - that he loved Kriss, causing me to lose my last shred of hope; or that he did love me but there was nothing that either of us could do – making it even harder for both of us. Chances were that the former would be the case as I didn't think he would ever be able to forgive me after what happened at the end of the Selection, but I couldn't stop hoping, I couldn't let go of that part of me that hoped he would turn around at the last minute and marry me instead.

We met up with Celeste, Ashley and her fiancé, before boarding the plane to Angeles. It was eerily familiar to be getting on a plane to Angeles with these girls, but it was so different as well. Marlee was still at the palace, although I hadn't heard from here, and Celeste and I were friends this time and I embraced her as we met. I gave Ashley a hug as well, she'd been nice enough almost a year ago, and shook hands with her fiancé – a two named Alfred.

I sat in between Celeste and May in the middle aisle of the plane whilst Ashley and Alfred sat on the two seats to our right. May was nervous, as this was the first time she'd flown anywhere, but seemed excited as well and glad to be coming with us. She put on the headphones in front of her and began watching a film that looked to be about princesses. I turned away from her and towards Celeste.

"So, I see you're going stag, so to speak." She laughed.

"I think the pot's calling the kettle black a little there." I laughed back.

"I don't need a man." She said confidently, flipping her hair over her shoulder and I smiled. "For now, I'm focusing on me. I literally spent months trying to win a guy through hatred of everyone else, even when I knew I had no chance." I smiled sadly back at her.

"I know what you mean. I mean, how long have Ashley and Alfred known each other? It has to have been less than Kriss and…" I gulped, unable to say his name but Celeste didn't say anything "And yet they're engaged! Time to focus on myself and my family for a while." I paused, considering if I should ask my next question but decided that she may want to tell me but not know how. "I thought you would've brought your mom or one of your famous friends." Celeste laughed.

"No. Like I said, I'm focusing on me. I don't want to be overshadowed by some celebrity who didn't even have a tiny chance of being a princess. And spending time with my mom is something I try to avoid these days. Since I didn't win the Selection, she keeps trying to figure out new ways for me to 'get back on top' as she says." Celeste rolled her eyes. "How's your mom coping with it all." I sighed.

"She's glad to have me home but none of us are really sure what to do with me. I've started going to a school for people who've moved up a caste and singing and playing music as well to help pay for the bills. We'll get it all sorted one day and then the larger wage will help them out a lot. At least some good came out of this whole thing." I sighed, slumped back on my chair and looked over at my sister who was still watching her film, her eyes filled with happiness.

"I just want them all to be safe and happy. Not worrying about being warm and full. But the only time I've ever helped them get any closer was when I was at the Palace sending those pay cheques home. She'd never say anything, but I think that my mom resents me a little for having to come home, and I hate myself for not being able to be with…him, or even get over him. It's been months, I should be over it by now, shouldn't I? But no," I shook my head and wiped a tear from my eye. Feeling more brimming beneath my skin, I turned fully away from my sister in case she suddenly looked over. "No, I sit at home and pine. Doing nothing to help my case with him – not that anything could be done – and doing very little to help my family. Even though my family are the only reason I went into the Selection – the only reason I even applied. Why am I even going to this bloody wedding? So that I can see the man I love, who hates me by the way, marry another woman? To torture myself?" Celeste said nothing and we sat in silence for the rest of the journey (although she never let go of my hand) as I willed the tears to stop flowing.

I kept half an eye on the little map that showed us where we were and once I had mostly calmed down, I squeezed past Celeste and made my way towards the tiny toilet at the back of the plane to freshen up. I was a mess. My mascara that I'd put on that morning had smudged and my skin was red and blotchy, but I fixed myself up as best I could and forced on a strong smile. I would not be weak. I could not be weak. I was America Singer and I could survive this.

 **This feels like the natural ending forthis chapter, even though I had planned it to be longer. Oh well, I'll try and be back with the next chapter ASAP since a few of you seem to be enjoying it. Leave me a review letting me know what you think! Much love – chescaannie xx**


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